Moisture Concerns

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farmrjohn

Pre-takeoff checklist
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farmrjohn
I recently relocated my plane to a new hangar at a new airport. The hangar is an older PortaPort on an asphalt apron. Going by today it looks like the plane has morphed into an amphibian (which I don't have a rating for). There were some drips from the roof onto the wings which don't seem too bad but is the standing water a concern?
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I had this issue in my hanger but I have a great landlord that made the needed repairs. Hopefully the landlord will do what’s required to fix this.
 
What's the point of a hangar if it can't keep the elements off of it? Hoping your landlord is able to fix it.
 
I'd say yes, it's a concern. I'm not sure where you're from but what if it does that and then freezes?
 
Drips and leaks are one thing; an indoor lake is another. High humidity from standing water would be a significant risk for promoting corrosion as well as condensation in instrumentation and electronics. Most electronic devices fare poorly in condensing environmental conditions. And I would also worry about promoting mold growth. Hopefully the lessor can ameliorate the water ingress. I would consider this unacceptable for indoor storage.
 
The airplane might stay drier outside. At least the inside of the airplane would. Not much chance of evaporation in a closed hangar.
 
My concern would be ice, on the plane and on the floor.

How often does it freeze in your area?

Myself I would ask the airport management about the best way to fix the problem.
 
Thanks. Location is San Diego, landlord is the city. I'm not sure how helpful they will be. At least freezing/ice shouldn't be a concern. Looks like time to try and find another hangar elsewhere, ugh.
 
Here in the north country, we experience a lot of issues in spring with the temperature swings creating a lot of condensation in our t-hangars. The roof will condensate and drip and give the appearance of leaking even when its not. A lot of solutions have been tried over the years, but none successfully. It is worse when the temperature is just below freezing, as the sun will warm the roof and cause melting and condensation, but then the floor and contents of the hangar are below freezing and become icy.
 
Having condensation form on the airframe is common, unless the hangar has environmental controls to reduce outside humidity. The biggest issue that I see here is the standing water which should be kept out entirely.
 
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